The Faces of History
by Tamomelia
Summary: Back in 1944, back when Tom R. Jr. was merely eighteen years old. What made him take his decisions, and was he just that "monster to be"? Rated M to be safe. Disclaimer: This is NOT a "Voldemort goes good" story.
1. Nothing But a Rose Gone Wrong

**All rights to J.K. Rowling.**

"_When I first met young Mr. Riddle, he was a quiet albeit brilliant boy, committed to becoming a first grate wizard. Not unlike others I've known. Not unlike yourself. If the monster existed it was buried deep within._" – Horace Slughorn to Harry Potter.

_Somewhere deep down in history, back when the greatest evil was just an idea._

The rain was falling down heavily outside, yet she was safe and secure within the castle walls. Her arms were tightly hugging her rather scrawny body. With eyes closed, hiding the blues in colour and emotions she exhaled; feeling how the warmth clashed with the slight cold that crept from the windows.

It was late autumn; October, to be more precise. The castle was decorated in Halloween style, yet she didn't care for it at the moment. Her thick, woollen stockings and knee length skirt brought her some femininity, so did her white shirt; but she didn't really feel like a lady. She was eighteen; actually, she turned eighteen last night. She had gotten a few letters, most from her closest family, but some also from distant relatives. They had wished her all the best, told her to be happy on this festive day! Well, her mother had told her that it was festive because now she could be married off.

Was that really their plan – to rob her of all her future hope and plans? She huffed, feeling disappointed. Her eyes opened slowly, taking in the black landscape. What was she going to marry for? Money? No, that wasn't quite it. It was for more status; her mother wanted her to climb even further up in the hierarchy. Her mother had her agenda; it might be with good intention, but somehow she didn't feel that way herself.

Little Arianne – wanting to rebel.

She untwined her arms, stretched them carefully and turned away from the window; facing the dark area of the library. Her hair was impeccably pulled back into a ponytail, letting her soft, brown hair cascade down to her shoulders. Her hair was rather long for the 1940's, but she wasn't exactly raised to keep within those stupid, muggle'ish rules of style. Her eyes were piercing blue, seemingly burning through everything she looked at. Her facial features were a good combination between sharp professionalism and soft feminism. She had high cheekbones which one almost could cut paper on, pouty, pink lips, and a straight, yet femininely soft nose. She had a few freckles on her nose, bringing some childish features to someone who hadn't really experienced a real childhood.

Her rather thick indoors jacket covered her arms, which quite honestly were awfully cold. She felt so frozen, as if the warmth in the castle couldn't penetrate her sphere. She knew that she had this eerie thing around her, this thing that made many students careful about her. Not just students really, just people in general. She didn't care though, she had her friends; people that could greet her without feeling like she was above them.

Yes, because she was so called _above _very many people. Arianne was born into supremacy; to a life of wealth and power. She was a Rosier – so that's obvious…

"Arianne?" A timid voice behind her said, hushed – one didn't want to wake the wrath of the librarian. Turning to her right she saw the delicate face of her best friend in this world – Mirabelle Greengrass. This timid mouse of a short girl with chestnut curls, chocolate fudge eyes and blushing cheeks had been her best friend since the first day at Hogwarts. They had been the perfect friend match – _her mother's words. _Yet, she couldn't agree more.

"Hi, Mira!" A smile came to her lips, yet she didn't really feel like smiling. Mira, which was her nickname, offered her arm, which Arianne took willingly. "What are you doing out of the Slytherin house? I thought you were studying tonight."

"Yes, I was. Yet I was under the impression that you were going to study with me? Or am I just on a wild goose chase right now?" A smile lurked its way out from Mira, bringing some of that seldom joy in her face. Mira was a very strict girl, yet she rarely dared to raise her voice for long enough to tell people to get their act together and start studying for the N.E.W.T.s.

"Well, you know… I was out taking my afternoon stroll, and then all of a sudden I ended up bewitched by a window." Shrugging, yet not quite apologetic in her rather ridiculous explanation.

"Ah, so nothing new then?" Tilting her head so that her chestnut curls shook a little, her expression – so much like an insulted kitten – made her laugh a little. "You know, you should really – "

"Yes, I know. I should really study up. Or else I'll just end up being married off to the richest bachelor with the lowest IQ! Oh, darling – I'll call you when none of us can brew a potion to save our goldfish from drowning." Arianne's dramatic tirade made her friend pout, yet this was exactly the reaction she wanted.

"Stop it, you big bully! I did _not _say that! I just mean… You must brew good potions to lure a good man in." Angelic in her eyes – trying so hard to affect her friend.

"Yes, of course! He'll choose me for my potion skills – not the ridiculous amount of galleons my mother is willing to give him to just touch me with his pinkie – after marriage, of course." Shaking her head righteously she made the end of her little speech into a conclusion.

"You are terribly negative, Arianne Emeline Rosier. You should be ashamed of yourself sometimes!" Scolding her best friend as good as she could, yet avoiding the looks of other students as they walked down the hallways.

"And I keep imagining that you're luring me down to do homework…"

* * *

It seemed like that girl could take her mood and spin it 180 degrees around – and that was probably why they were such good friends. You always need someone there, someone who will make you smile.

Yet there is absolutely no reason to smile while you're up to your neck in potions homework… Yeah, professor Slughorn was an awfully nice man to her; mostly because he thought there could become something good of her – as if, her future husband maybe? Whoever he would be.

"Are you doing okay?" The slightest stress revealed in Mira's voice brought a strained smile to her face.

"I've got two inches left, so I guess I'm doing just dandy. What about you?" Sneaking a peak at her friend, she saw that she was already done; but it looked like she was going to rewrite the thing.

"I want it perfect, so I don't know yet…" Mumbling, trying to find out if there was any word she should replace.

"You know what you need, Mira? A bad boy! You need someone who can bring your mind of these scrolls." Earning an honestly shocked face, she snickered – enjoying how put off Mirabelle looked.

"A _bad boy? _To put me _off these scrolls?" _It genuinely looked like she was going to whack her with her quill, yet the thought of spilling ink on her precious homework.

"Yes, a man! You need to loosen up a little, darling." Sweetly her voice tried to talk her shaken friend down – showing her that she wanted the best for her.

"Says the white maiden…" Mira huffed, shooting a pointed look at her best friend.

"Hey, my mother is a fire breathing dragon – men don't want to hang around me. Besides… My brother doesn't really make them want me more. Who will want to woo a woman who has a two meter long brother with a twitchy wand-hand?" And that was actually kind of true. Her mother was a dreadful woman – making her strict, yet loving, father seem like a pussycat. And about her brother… Ah, what could be said about Alick Chauncey, which the whole school didn't yet know of? He was rather brutal, being put to detention more than a rebellious fourteen year old boy. Actually – he had dumped down a year. He was nineteen years old. He was her half-brother, the product of a former marriage her father had been in.

"That might be so, Arianne – but they sure throw longing glances at you." Mira smirked – as if she had a secret nobody else knew about. "Men want what they can't have – at least that's what my mother tells me." Shrugging, she looked back at her homework.

"Then I must be a ice cream Sunday with a cherry on top." Arianne said sarcastically.

"Don't forget the chocolate sprinkles, darling."

"Can't you just shut your gap and go back to being more geeky and less of a matchmaker?" Okay, maybe she got grumpy a little easy. But being ignored by the other sex as long as she'd been attractive wasn't really a thing that mad you love boys.

"I'll do that. But besides; I think they prefer being referred to as _men _now."

* * *

That little talk with Mirabelle had gotten to her, making her think about why she didn't get any attention. Was it because she was so damned stiff, or could she just blame her brother? She was sitting alone at the library, in one of the secluded areas. There was nobody around her, which was what she preferred, actually. She had brought forth a book, "_Men who love dragons too much" _it was actually quite interesting.

"What are you doing here, sis?" A dark, yet cheerful voice commented as a tall, dark haired man sat down at one of the chairs around the table she was sitting by. It was Alick, her half-brother, yet she preferred to just call him her brother. He had dark hair that was perfectly combed back, eyes black as the night and this distinctive look on his face; as if he was constantly up to something dangerously stupid.

"Reading, though I should ask you the same; you're not exactly the book kind." Gazing up from her book, she smiled at her brother. She had nothing but warm feelings for the young lad; they had grown up with a mere year between them. He had always been there for her; a little bit of a rascal since he was young – but his care for her and her devotion for him had made that into something that didn't really matter.

"Are you calling me stupid?" He looked almost a little offended for a second, but it seemed like he was letting that go quite quickly. "I just wanted to spend some time with my little sister; mostly because you've refused to hang around me for quite a while." Yeah, that was that…

"That might have to do with the fact that some of your friends freak me out a little." And not just a little… It seemed like this lad, Tom Riddle was his name, had gotten quite a gang; her brother was one of them. Tom was creepy, but it was mostly the other lads that made her escape and run away.

"I can't say that I'm unhappy with the fact that you're avoiding lads; but don't avoid me, lil' sis." Okay, now he looked hurt. She pouted her lips and looked up at him with an apologetic look.

"Sorry, you big brute."

"And what the hell are you reading, by the way?" Picking up her book and reading the title he raised his eyebrows.

"Men who love dragons too much? Oh, just a little something to understand why our father loves our mother." There was the slightest malice in her smile, yet there wasn't really any harm in her words. Her mother might be a fire breathing bitch of a dragon; but she was still mom.

"Yeah, that thing might be able to explain our childhood." He was in on the joke, which was one of those things that made Arianne love her brother. He didn't mock her much and they shared the same humour. "But you should really meet Tom once, I think you'd get along." He was obviously rooting for his friend here, trying to put him in a better light.

"Honestly, Alick? He seems like a nice lad, but I've heard that he's weird." She shrugged, not really sure what to think. She wasn't going to judge someone she didn't knew without at least meeting him, but when the Hufflepuffs started crying more than usual; it was never good.  
She'd heard that he was the usual pureblood racist guy – and by that like any other Slytherin guy. There was nothing wrong with disliking muggles in their society – but there was always a line you did not cross.

"They say things like that about me too, sis."

**There will be more, at least if you guys like it this far! Give me a head up about your opinions!**


	2. Bad Boy

**All credits to J.K. Rowling!**

The fumes around them were almost a little choking – mostly because some stupid Gryffindor had put something he really shouldn't have in his potion. It wasn't exactly something new that those stupid lions exploded everything they touched… Professor Slughorn rushed around on his tired feet, trying to calm down the girl with pigtails – the one who had gotten a little too much sot in her face. Behind her there was at least four boys snickering like the snakes they were; so childish. Mira threw a glance at her – rolling her eyes as if agreeing with Arianne's silent judgment.  
Nothing bad happened when the two of them were making potions; mostly because Mira always said whatever she was doing and therefor granting Arianne the advantage of knowing what to do. It wasn't like she was cheating off her best friend – she had actually gotten a lot better since Mira poked her in the ribs a little too hard and told her to study a little before class. It had helped – granting Arianne the ability to actually do it herself.

"Longbottom… Just – just don't touch anything, okay?" The professor seemed to be a little exasperated, yet he tried very hard to hide it. That boy – Longbottom – had to be cursed. He was such a clums, always messing up his potions, and hurting himself more than what was normal. If she didn't know any better, she'd think that it was her brother of his friends that had done something to the poor chap – she thought so because her brother was on the bench behind her, snickering louder than the others.

"Do you think that the boy will ever learn?" Mira huffed, she wasn't that fond of the Gryffindor – but she had a heart of gold.

"I don't know, maybe when my brother lifts that spell?" She said as she slowly turned around, looking back at her over the top tall brother. He smirked back at her while shrugging; as if he had heard or knew exactly what she was talking about. His hair was – as always – perfectly combed back, with some of that stupid grease the boys seemed to fancy nowadays. Yet some pieces of his hair were starting to act up; probably because of the hot fumes that rose from his kettle.  
He wasn't doing an outstanding job here – but at least it seemed like he might be doing better than last year? At least she hoped so. If he failed this year too, it was kind of likely that he'd drop out and then abandon the family – her father would not take it kindly if he didn't finish school. You obviously had to be smart to be his heir… Well, shit luck there. Alick wasn't that smart, he was just a little street-smart.

"Don't look at me like that, Anni, I did nothing!" He raised his hands as if to surrender; something that only resulted in his potion drastically changing colour.

"I don't know if I trust you on that one… "Yet she smiled at him, a little overbearing though. She watched his potion with a little distrust in her eyes, "Alick… You should really fix that brew…" Backing up a little to her potion – which was stirring itself by now. She looked at Mira – which was obscenely busy with her own brew.

"Oh… It's not supposed to have that colour… -"Rubbing the back of his head thoughtfully Alick looked at his brew, which had gone from a healthy green to a dark blue. "Professor?" Raising his hand a little, to catch the attention of professor Slughorn, he slowly started to back up from the potion. If there was something Alick was good at, then it was to blow up stuff. It was amusing; because he always laughed at those who got their own potion in their face, but yet he was a master at that same thing. Maybe it was only to make him feel good that he laughed at others – or the fact that he was just a big twat.

"What now, Rosier?" The slightly old man sighed as he approached the rather large specimen of a Rosier. The professor was used to this boy ruining his potions – this was the second year he was teaching him as a seventh year student – and quite frankly… The boy was not in the Slug Club. He might become something big one day – but Slughorn wasn't taking the risk.

"I think I did something bad." He said, abruptly and avoiding eye contact with just about anyone in the room. Nobody dared to pick on him; too afraid of the giant.

"Oh well, isn't that a surprise…" He now huffed, looking down at the potion that seemed to go darker by the moment. It was obvious that it wasn't salvable. "I swear, even your grandfather was better than you. And he was, quite frankly, a disaster." It looked like he had given up as he raised his wand and levitated the kettle away. Nothing could save it, obviously. "Good thing the lad has money…" He mumbled, yet Arianne heard it clearly. She rolled her eyes, eyeing her brother – which had pulled his eyebrows together – looking rather annoyed.

"He's right; at least you won't be poor." She shrugged, gaining a pointy look from her brother.

* * *

Alick had followed her and Mira to lunch in the great hall. His company had been slightly sullen, walking a step behind them; yet hovering over them like some sort of a black tower. Arianne was coming to a conclusion that Alick might indeed be the reason why men avoided her; or just the reason why people in general avoided her. She could feel his black stare around her, looking at people who looked at his little sister. Alick wouldn't admit it in front of Arianne or Anni as he liked to call her, that she was considered rather beautiful by many men. He couldn't blame them; she was such a tiny, frail being with dark blue eyes which pierced whoever was in her way. She had a critical way of behaving; as if she was analysing everyone and everything around her.

They had been raised with one year between them; taught to love each other like true siblings, not just half-siblings. A girl needs a big brother, and a big brother needs a little sister than he can watch out for. His father had – plenty times – told him to keep an eye out for Anni. Their parents saw her as a doe eyed, innocent little thing. They thought the world would chew her up and spit her out; but Alick knew that she was so much more than that.

They entered the great hall; Arianne and Mirabelle in the front and Alick walking behind them; hovering like a hawk. It was the usual business; the Ravenclaws looked at them with some fascination – even friendliness from some. The Hufflepuffs seemed to cringe, mostly because those little ones knew who they shouldn't be around. The Gryffindor's threw mean words an arrogant glances; doing the usual stuff to show that they didn't like Slytherin's. They really had no business being mean to the girls, but Alick on the other hand. Alick was a Slytherin bully; everyone who wasn't pureblood or worthy in general was a victim for men like him. Arianne tended to ignore the fact that her brother was a merciless bully – it was easier that way. It wasn't that she justified the fact that her brother was being mean to everyone and everything, it was just that… It was easier to pretend that it never happened. If she was caught standing up for a muggle of mudblood; oh, it would not be pretty then… She was taught that those kind of people weren't good enough; and she really didn't question that either. But she was not going to taunt anyone for it either.

"Hey, Rosier! Get your greasy hair over here." A man, none other than Antonin Dolohov actually, called out. Alick put a hand on the back of Arianne's back, steering her in that direction.

_Oh dear… _This could only mean that Alick was forcing her to meet up with the _boys._

"Sorry, Arianne, I promised Linda I'd sit with her and… Well, you're obviously not going that way." Mira smiled apologetic, yet she knew very well that she was avoiding this situation. Mira wasn't any keener on sitting with the weird gang than she was.

Alick kept his hand on her back, leading her with him. It wasn't as if she was going to run off; she was too polite to do that.

"You owe me big time, Alick." She mumbled, making sure he knew how much she was opposing this situation. He knew exactly what he was doing; he was trying to include her in the life he was starting.

"Did you bring a friend, Rosier?" Another lad snickered as the both of them sat down, Arianne tried her best not to make any particular eye contact with any of them; yet she made sure that she didn't look insecure. Alick shrugged, patting the shoulder of his sister. He had placed himself between her and Dolohov, not really keen on trying out destiny too much. He didn't want the boys to catch an interest with her; he just wanted her… - In his life.

"My little sister, actually." He cleared his throat, well aware that he had placed her on the opposite side of Tom Riddle. He wasn't yet sure if that was his best move, but it was an experiment. Arianne was well aware whom she was sitting on the opposite side of; a young man with dark chestnut hair and vibrant, brown eyes. He was a pale lad, yet there was nothing about him who said 'scrawny lad'. Around him laid an aura of power; a lad who was awfully sure of himself.

"I didn't think you liked the thought of introducing her to us, Rosier." Tom said out of the blue, obviously hitting a nerve in Alick. Her brother's lips went tight, yet he didn't answer the lad right away.

"I changed my mind." He said his voice low in his chest. And obviously he did. He leaned a little back and the lads came closer to the table. She felt eyeballed by them all; Avery, Lestrange, Mulciber, Nott, Dolohov and Riddle. She knew who all of them were, mostly because all purebloods knew each other somehow. All of them were purebloods; except from Tom Riddle. As far as she knew, he was a half-blood, though this seemed not to make any difference to them – why? That was the curious question. Alick sighed deeply, obviously already regretting his decision.

"This is Arianne Emeline Rosier, lads." She herself were entwining her fingers underneath the table, not quite comfortable with the situation; but she wouldn't show that to any of them. She was trained in being around other purebloods; especially unmarried ones – and now she'd play her role by all the rules in the book.

"It's pleasurable to finally make you acquaintance, Miss Rosier." His voice was so slick, and it made the other men shut their mouth. As she moved her gaze to the young mister Riddle she tilted her head ever so slightly, as if she was calculating what kind of a man he was. His eyes held a glimmer, but she could honestly not see anything real within them. It wasn't unlike pureblood men to be devoured by their own arrogance – but Tom Riddle was no pureblood, he was just hyped up on power. Yet there was something off with him.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance too, Mister Riddle." Her voice was soft as satin as she thought this was awfully a lot like the courtesy lessons she'd had with her nanny. He lifted his hand, offering it to her as if he was someone close to her position; it was actually outrageous, but it seemed like his blood status didn't even matter here. What kind of a mess had she gotten herself into? This seemed like some weird parallel universe. She took his hand, almost a little surprise when he gave it the slightest peck; all for the courtesy. He had obviously had some lessons too, even though that seemed awfully weird to her. Maybe he'd forced some professor to show him how to talk to a pureblood without offending them.

The other lads seemed to try to ignore the situation, pretending that they weren't following their every move.

"I was wondering when your brother was going to introduce you. We need more good witches within our group." She had withdrawn her hand while trying to ignore her discomfort, he was acting like a perfect gentleman, but something was awfully wrong with this situation. And the way he looked at her – it felt like he was judging her by her pedigree, well, he probably was as well. Alick cleared his throat, obviously a little uncomfortable. Arianne couldn't blame him, really. Tom seemed to have this effect on people, as far as she'd seen. He was a little unnerving.

"So it seems. I feel slightly overruled by the amount of men here." She tilted her head gently, smiling as the courteous little doll she could be. To be honest, she was only 'making polite' right now.

"Well, we don't let just anyone in, Miss Rosier." His sudden smile, if that was going to be what you'd call it, sent shivers up her spine.

* * *

She had a few classes after lunch, but the day had in general just gone on quite quickly. She had felt a little unnerved for the rest of the day; the dark eyes of Tom Riddle haunting her thoughts. She couldn't quite make out what kind of a man he was… He looked at her like her pedigree was gold, and he spoke to her like he was just as high up in the rankings as her. He wasn't, he just wasn't. He was a half-blood, nothing wrong with that really, but he was basically a half-blood with too much power over six other pureblood men. Usually they didn't take any bullshit from anyone who hadn't an impeccable pedigree, but now… What was all that about? One thing was for sure; he'd captured her attention.

She was walking down the hallway towards the Slytherin common room, quite ready to sit in front of the fireplace; ignoring the world. She was carrying her Alchemy books, which seemed to be as heavy as gold this afternoon. At least her ponytail was still hanging high, and this time even without a spell.  
The hallway was empty, quiet like a crypt. The Slytherin banners on the walls, the burning torches and black rock around her was to set her in that immediate Slytherin mode. Reminding everyone who walked here that some of us is walking down a dark path, but we all are walking down in elegance.

"I didn't know your brother let you walk alone." Someone had crept up on her, and that would be the ultimate scarecrow. No, that was just mean, but Tom was scary. Holding her books close, looking up at the surprisingly taller man that now walked beside her, she smiled weakly.

"He lets me, yet he'll get a scolding from my mother when she finds out." Her tone was calm, trying to be as polite as possible. She could grow to like Tom, yet right now? She didn't know.

"Then I should accompany you, it's not proper for a woman of your standards to walk alone like that. Some stranger might have the nerve to look at you." There was some humour in his voice, yet his face was much like stone. Maybe there was a ghost of a smile there, yet one had to look close for it.

"My mother would say that you're a stranger, young Mister Riddle." She raised her chin, smiling ever so slightly. They approached the common room, which was surprisingly empty. Was everyone having classes at this hour? That or they were watching some fight in the hallways.

"Oh dear, then I better not look at you then." He sad casually, following her to one of the fireplaces. She sat down in one of the chairs, placing her books on the stone table before she put one leg behind the other, not crossing her legs. Tom sat down in the chair on the opposite side of her before he aimed his wand at the fireplace, igniting it and bringing some warmth. "I didn't take you for the Alchemy kind." He said, a little _'a matter of fact'_ stating. She smiled without looking at him, only watching the flames without real interest.

"And I didn't take you for the talkative kind, at least not with women." She aimed her gaze at him, hitting him with one of her piercing gazes. It seemed like it puzzled him for a moment, how she wasn't afraid of him, how she could just look at him like that without flinching.

"There are few women worth talking to, Miss Rosier." He tilted his head, as if trying to figure out this young woman. She was a puzzling one.

"Funny how I'm worth talking to then, I'm like any other pureblood woman." She was actually challenging him, trying to figure out where his trigger points were. Maybe he wouldn't like how she pointed out her status, where he had none?

"You render men speechless without saying a word." He laid his chin in his palm, starring at her in a way that made her a little uncomfortable. He obviously didn't care; taking the challenge for himself. "You have gone unnoticed by many, yet you must be the most attractive marriage partner on the marked right now." His words puzzled her, he didn't quite make sense.

"How can I go unnoticed, if you mean that I'm the most attractive one on the marked?" Her tone was soft, yet Tom noticed the slightest spike.

"Your money and status makes you well beyond desirable, anyone can point you out as a powerful Rosier. Yet you seem to go by unnoticed. Hiding in the library." He smirked, obviously he hit a nerve. Arianne looked at him as if he was a new specie, how the hell could he know where she was hiding? She shook her head, sending him a polite smile.

"You know too much for your own good, Mister Riddle."

"Oh please, Mister Riddle is my father. Call me Tom."


	3. Render Me Speechless

**Thanks for the review, Nali! Yeah, that was a really cheesy line – but I believe that he was kind of cheesy, mostly because he had to fake a lot of emotions. Tom Riddle – the cheesy psychopath.**

**And thank you for the praise, I appreciate it! **

**For everyone's attention: I changed the genre from Romance/horror to Drama/Horror. I don't think romance would be the word here.**

"I'm not a part of your little gang, Tom." She repeated – for the second time. The first time she'd said that, he'd just ignored her. This time on the other hand, he looked over at her with one eyebrow raised. He looked at her as if she was a challenge not easily defeated. She answered his look with a stubborn one, tilting her head to the side as she entertained the idea of pulling her legs up into the chair; yet she knew that her mother would slap her if she knew she'd done that. Tom had already brought up the subject of him being the heir of Salazar Slytherin, something that had made her raise her eyebrow; because that would explain why the other lads were following him like sheep. Yet she didn't know if Tom was what he claimed to be, or if he was just bragging himself up into the clouds. Who knew? She had already realized that he was as power hungry as her mother – if not more.

"What may be so awfully wrong with my _gang_ that makes you reject us so easily?" He was tapping the armrest of his chair, drawing her attention to his hands instead of the man himself.

"As far as I know – nothing yet, though you should stop believing that I'd follow you like my sheep brother. I don't need a king." She turned her attention to her nails, inspecting them for a second before she threw a challenging look at him. Her reply seemed to annoy him, but his stone face barely moved. She wasn't going to feed up on his need for power; she'd much rather fight him for the throne. "Who needs a king when they have a queen?" She finished off, giving him a coquettish smile.

"So you're a queen then?" He actually smiled at her, and she thought for a moment that this must be his entertained smile; yet it was scarier than anything else.

"Not now, but I aspire to be one day. Alone in my castle – my husband away in battle or something." She leaned back now, looking at the flames; it was her time to tap her fingers on the armrest. Oh, that didn't sound positive at all… But hey, that would probably be the best outcome for her.

"You surprise me, little Arianne. I almost expected for you to yearn for romance and a loving husband; as every other girl would." His smile wasn't there anymore, something that probably was for the best.

"I'm sorry Tom, but I think that marrying for love is too much of a fairy-tale for a woman of my standards." And that was true – she could get lucky! But what were the chances for that? She would be sold of like a brood mare – to the highest bidder. That was a common thing amongst purebloods. You were usually given away to your third cousin or someone that the family wanted to be tied to.

"At least you're realistic. We don't have time for these love stories… It's better to aspire for greatness." And with that she saw something weird within him; as if something clicked. His eyes were so determined, so focused. The ghost of a smile was on his lips, making the stone face light up ever so slightly. It wasn't as if his entire face had changed at his last word; but there was _something_.

"Be the greatest you can be and force everyone to realize that they were wrong." She mumbled, not really caring if he had actually heard her. He had, his eyes on her tiny posture; looking ever so puzzled again.

* * *

It had been two days since their little conversation. Alick had still made her eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with him and the lads, something that meant she had to be around Tom Riddle. She wasn't yet comfortable around the lad – mostly because she was quite convinced that Tom was just trying to get another powerful friend. Yet… She wasn't sure if Tom was looking for a friend, maybe more of a business associate. Tom wasn't the '_friend' _kind.

It was the 3rd November, and she was in for the pleasant experience of yet another Slug Club party. It was rather pleasant – most of the time, yet not always. Professor Slughorn was always trying to create bonds with his _chosen ones_. He chose certain students for their abilities, their families and their brains. It was considered a privilege to be chosen for his club, because that meant you might be in for something great – everybody knew that the professor did this to make the right acquaintances.

She had slipped on her pretty party dress; a rather modern, yet properly modest dress that her mother had bought her. She always got new party dresses when she went back to school, her mother wanted her to look her best while attending such parties as the ones Slughorn threw. Her dress for the occasion was a pretty 40's classic halter style party dress. It was a black satin dress that went down to beneath her knees, creating pretty waved because of the larger amount of fabric. The bodice was a corset – her mother expecting nothing less. It was modest though, making her waist small. The bust was created with several layers of fabric, giving her a sweet heart neckline, yet it was modest. From her hips the fabric looked almost like a sarong, it was draped towards her left side, held up with a silver clip. It was really classy – nothing less was expected. She wore modest black shoes with a medium heel, not making her too flashy. Her hair was pulled back from her face, spelled into curling itself prettily as it hung down her back. With a simple diamond bracelet she topped it off; no one was going to say that Mrs Rosier didn't dress up her daughter.

She was at the party; arriving fashionable late. Yet that was mostly because Alick had held her back, telling her to stay in the common room this time; that was because he couldn't chaperon her. They had fought over it for ten minutes; she had just turned around and walked away then, not taking any bullshit from her brother. When did he start to care about chaperoning her?

Around her were about forty students in all ages, and some selected teachers that were there to make nice.

_Why couldn't Mira be a part of the Slug Club? _

Her suspicion that the students were picked because of their family and sport achievements grew stronger for each year, there seemed to be mostly purebloods and other elite students here.

"Ah, Miss Rosier – you made it tonight!" The delighted voice of professor Slughorn caught her off guard for a moment, laying her hand at her heart for a second she turned to look at the older professor. He had this puzzled look, "Oh, I hope I didn't frighten you there? Such a fragile little thing." His comment annoyed her, but she lowered her hand and gave him one of her cutest smiles, tilting her head while turning on that female charm of hers.

"Oh no – not at all, professor. You merely caught me off guard for a moment." That polite tone of hers had returned, trying to make nice as everyone else was.

"It's such a shame that your brother hasn't proved himself yet, it would be nice to have the whole set…" His face went thoughtful, and a chill went down her spine – the professor was always a little creepy when he talked about students as if they were collectives. Yet she smiled, pretending not to notice or care how he talked about her family. He hadn't been teaching for long enough to have had many Rosier's, yet it seemed like he thought that something had been robbed away from him. "Very well then, at least I have one promising Rosier." He smiled down at her, as if she was something he could put in a glass cage – lock away and stare at when the skies are grey.

"My brother doesn't value the academic aspect of anything, sadly." Folding her hands she looked around in the room, not wanting to make the professor feel like he was uninteresting; but right now he really was. He obviously didn't take the hint though. Still looking down on her he went on about the potion classes he was going to have and how he saw her piece by piece becoming better and better in his classes. Oh, she must know that he didn't intentionally pick her for her natural gift for potioning; but he saw potential in whole of her!

Pft, yeah. He saw someone who would grow up to have more money than her parents. Professor Slughorn was very superficial, but everyone preferred being on his good side.

"Oh, Mister Riddle, join us!" The professor gleefully said to Tom who was standing four feet away from us. He looked puzzled for a moment before he put on a pleasant face and walked over to them. It was rather obvious that Slughorn absolutely adored Riddle. He had all the highest hopes for him, and they often had meetings – just Slughorn with Tom and his crew. Maybe Slughorn thought that Tom could change the intelligence of the other lads. "We were just chatting a little, talking about Miss Rosier's bright future." Yeah, no, that was not exactly the topic – but that was probably the topic forever spinning around in his head when he was talking to certain students.

"I didn't know you were a clairvoyant, professor." He said quietly as he walked towards them with his hands behind his back, neatly locking them so that everyone would understand that he liked some distance. As if you needed to be an astrophysicist to understand that… Smiling pleasantly at Tom, merely polite, she ignored what he had said.

"Oh, nonsense. That trade is just nonsense." The professor said while laughing, rejecting the idea. "Though I have noticed that the two of you are starting to buddy up?" He looked at the both of them; as if seeing a brilliant possibility that both Tom and Arianne probably would hate.

"I have, as you have, noticed Miss Rosier's academic and cultural skills. I see it as only my duty to befriend those who will have influence in the future." The ghost of a smile haunted his lips, yet his eyes were very passive. There was probably some truth in his words; Arianne had by now understood that Tom was looking for allies. But was she willing to be his ally – the real question was rather; would she want to be his enemy? The thought of being his enemy didn't seem appealing.

"I, on the other hand, do believe that he is only trying to upgrade from my brother." The slightest humour was in her voice, yet her smile was polite. Slughorn started laughing, as if he loved their little comments. He put a hand on his shoulder and one on hers, Tom looked at it pointedly; obviously not enjoying the touch. Slughorn didn't seem to notice.

"I do approve of your friendship. You will do each other good." With that he patted the both of them and walked away; leaving Arianne with questions in her eyes and Tom with dismay in his face. As the older man had moved over to another couple of students, Tom looked at her with somewhat arrogance; yet she was suspecting that this was his regular look.

"That old man is reading too much into things." He almost spat it, but Arianne just shook her head with the slightest smile.

"He just enjoys playing such a powerful source." There was some dismay in her voice too, yet she kept it down. It seemed like the professor, for a second, had suggested that the two of them would do good being married to each other, the idea brought the taste of bile to her mouth. "But yes, he reads way too much into things." Shaking her once again, as if trying to get rid of awful images.

"Yes, as I said." It looked like he was, for a moment, annoyed that she repeated what he had said. "Will you accompany me to the beverages?" The polite man in Tom appeared again, and that was well enough. She didn't want to spend the whole night with him – but it was surely better than being alone.

"Sure, Tom." She breathed, not too thrilled to spend the entire night here. She'd rather be reading '_Men who love dragons too much'_. He offered her his arm, something which granted him a pointed look; yet she took it as the courteous woman she was. They walked across the room, chins up and avoiding all kinds of eye contact with others. Most of the students looked at them with interest; most of them didn't even dare to greet; just a few Ravenclaws and Slytherins. Once they had gotten some punch in their glasses they walked over to the great windows; covered by large draping.

"Have you noticed how many unworthy witches and wizards that are here?" Came all of a sudden from a thoughtful Tom. She looked over at him with a questioning look.

"Would you care to deepen that, young Riddle?" she used his last name as a pun, something that didn't even make him flinch a little bit.

"There are a few mudbloods, and a lot of halfbloods." With that he only got a pointed stare from her, as if she was asking him why he was judging halfbloods. "There is normally nothing wrong with halfbloods, but most of these are blood traitors." Arianne made an understanding noise now, getting where he was going. She smiled ever so slightly at him, yet it barely showed.

"You sound like my mother." The mere thought of Tom and her mother in a room together was quite frankly terrifying. Her mother would approve of him because of his heritage and his racist views; they would get along really well.

"Your mother is an esteemed member of the Sacred Twenty-eight, so I do not know why you are complaining. And so are you, by the way." His words hit her in the gut, yet not shocking her. Dismay appeared on her face again when he pulled the 'Sacred Twenty-eight' card on her. Yeah, she knew he was right.

"You and my mother would get along like peas on a string, Tom." She sighed, avoiding the question he had earlier put on her.

"Probably, but don't you agree?" His voice was low, yet intense.

"My upbringing makes me agree with you, Tom. Yet I'm not much for pulling the racist card; I just prefer when they don't talk to me. Not that any of them want to talk to me anyway." She shrugged, not really comfortable with this discussion.

"So you do agree with me that they shouldn't be here then?" He was, not literary, pushing her into a corner.

"I might, Tom. Yet we live in a society that doesn't approve of the old ways and opinions." She looked at him, trying to be realistic. Yes, she would probably forever think that there was something dirty about muggles, that purebloods were better – but she knew better than to open her mouth about it regulary. She was raised to think like a racist bigot, but she wouldn't act like one. A sudden change in his face appeared, as if he had come to a conclusion, the scariest look in his eyes.

"Yes, maybe that should be changed."

* * *

She had been a little insecure about Tom after that. It wasn't that she thought he was bad news… It was just – oh, she didn't know. He had taken a turn for the creepy, to say it the least. After that he had been awfully attentive to her; following her like the gentleman he was. It was okay, of course; it was just that she thought he might be up to something. Was he?


	4. You had me at Pureblood

**Sorry for the wait – I'm writing a paper for school. And I love you guys, I hope you like this one!**

**All credits to J.K**

_A month later._

She was walking down the hallways, her low ponytail allowing her hair to dance behind her back. She was holding two of her books in her arms, both for some classes that she had already slept through. She had been battling insomnia for the last week, probably because her mother started sending her fabric samples for her new ball gown.

Yeah – the Yule Ball was coming up. She wasn't exactly looking forward to it, mostly because she had no date. Her father had suggested that Alick should take her, and he probably would. It wasn't fitting that someone else would ask her to go, and most boys in Slytherin knew that they shouldn't just ask some pureblood girl – unless you wanted to marry her. Ah, what a narrow minded society. Yet it was okay, it only meant that she didn't have to impress some stupid lad.

As she passed a small group of girls dressed in golden yellow and red, one of them bumped her shoulder harshly into Arianne. She didn't drop her books; as the intention of the girls had been.

"Watch it, clums." One of the pretty little blondes said, as she wrapped one of her silky locks between her fingers. While counting silently to ten, Arianne turned around to face them. Her face held no expression, yet her insides were trembling with borderline anger.

"One would say that you are the clumsy one – that or you're drawn to Slytherin's like a moth to the flame." A smile appeared on her mouth, slightly mocking as she drew her breath calmly – trying her best not to turn into some upset little thing.

"As if! You pureblood slime, you think people like us ought to praise the dirt you walk on." Arianne had obviously hit a nerve, not that it was something new with these Gryffindors… They were so easy to pick on, so easy to pull apart at the seams.

"It seems like you've spent a lot of time thinking about what I might be thinking of? You should be careful; one might think you fancy me." With her sweetest smile she tilted her head and stared the blonde girl down into her shoes. She wasn't going to take any crap from a mere Gryffindor.

The girl seemed to be at a loss for words; staring at Arianne with her mouth half open. The other girls had succumbed to a quiet state, just looking from their friend to Arianne. They had no idea what to do, and Arianne herself was starting to tire of their lack of words. "So, are we done here?" She said as she cocked one of her eyebrows, still staring ever so sweetly. "Though I do suggest that you take some classes in elegance before the ball." Now she wasn't caring about them anymore, turning on her heel and continuing down the hallway; back on track. She heard some frantic noises behind her, but she wasn't going to turn around and look at them now. What was the point? She was about to walk down to the Slytherin common rooms again, maybe Mira would be down there – though she doubted. The girl had distanced herself from her ever since she started hanging around her brother, Tom and the gang. Sore feelings started to emerge as her mind wandered around the topic of Mira. It wasn't fair that she was going to ditch her like that, Arianne was just trying to… Well, she was just trying to be a Slytherin. She had to make her parents proud at some point, and being linked to people as Tom and his gang would probably make her a more attractive partner in marriage.

Tom wasn't exactly shy about the whole 'I'm the heir of Slytherin' thing… He was rather obnoxious about it, honestly – but her being his 'friend' only meant that aspiring wizards wanted to be around her. As she walked down the stairs to the dungeons somebody snuck up on her; but the character was rather welcome, actually.

"Why do I hear rumours of you embarrassing Gryffindors?" The humorous voice of her darling brother came from right behind her, she stopped abruptly – making him trip ever so slightly. She turned her head and smiled up at him before she moved to the side; allowing him to walk down the stairs with her.

"Oh, it was just a little mandatory Slytherin work, Alick." She said with her silver tongue, still smiling – yet now it was just for herself.

"It is most certainly a good thing that you're finally picking up the family tradition, little sister. I was starting to worry a little – you might've been a Hufflepuff in disguise!" He was feigning some outrageous shock, and she exercised some of her perfect self-control so that she didn't push him down the steps.

"I must inform you that you and your gang make Hufflepuffs cry – yet you have never made me cry. So do not worry about that, my bully brother." He didn't answer, just snickered a little for himself. As they made their way down and into the dungeons they walked in silence. It was no need for words, just silent deliciousness. There wasn't anybody out in the hallways; most of the students seemed to have retreated to their common rooms. They made their way down to their own; the one filled with witches and wizards that would either go bad or just brilliant. Or stupid – as her brother. No… He wasn't stupid – it's just that he wasn't smart.

"Has anyone asked you to the Yule Ball yet?" His voice was all of a sudden really wary, and Arianne knew why.

"No, I think you would've known if anyone had."

"Maybe, you're a little secretive – you might've not wanted me to know." Almost a little strict, yet not as strict as their father.

"No one dares to ask me, Alick." She said, ending their discussion with that.

* * *

She was sitting around one of the larger tables down in the common room – she was lucky enough to be – yet again – spending her time with her brother, Tom and the gang. The boys were eagerly talking to each other, but Arianne and Tom were just staring at the others with vague interest. It had occurred to her that her and Tom had the same habits when they were around other people; they pulled slightly back, yet it wasn't because they were shy, it was more of the fact that they needed to calculate the situation. You didn't have to be that bloody talkative either, it was far more enjoyable to watch other people let their mouth run.

This was the usual situation; boys talking about their latest victims, how they were going to be so rich and powerful after school that the N.E.W.T.s didn't even matter… Oh, they were absolutely adorable.

Though one thing was a little out of the normality; and that was the dark brown eyes that kept staring at her. No, it wasn't Tom – but rather one of the more odd specimens in this little boys club. The shabby character was one of those lads who didn't care for smoothing his hair out; unlike Alick and Tom. Once in a while you could see the devil on his lips; an almost cruel little smile that would make any feminine heart flutter with worry and excitement.

Antonin Dolohov – the smashing lad that kept staring at her. She had caught him looking at her before, but she presumed that he had been afraid of Tom, not daring to look at her because he wanted to make sure that the sardonic man wasn't out for her. But it was obvious that Tom didn't have any romantic plans when it came to her; the idea of that was like… Oh gosh – just _no! _

She wasn't going to catch his eyes now; she didn't want to be outrageous. It was one thing that this pureblood man was ogling her; but she was a perfectly nice pureblood lady, and those kinds of girls didn't stare down a man just like that. She knew very well that Alick wouldn't like it, and it wouldn't give her the best of reputations.

Yes – many witches and wizards were dating on this school, they were free about their love and could snog in the hallways, but they did not live the life that she lived. Doing something like that… It would be an outrage. It would be like having sex before marriage – yet she didn't doubt that many of the students here did that too. Maybe she was stuck in an old fashioned world, but there was nothing to be done about that. She had family standards to live up to.

Arianne looked at her brother as he told some obscene story about hanging a Gryffindor by his feet over the great lake, and she couldn't help but to roll her eyes at him. Nobody paid any attention to what she did, well, except from Dolohov.

"He squealed like a mouse, it was hilarious."

"I'm sure old papa would appreciate your doings, brother." She finally raised her voice, gaining complete silence around the table. She had her legs crossed in the proper fashion; like a lady. She rested her head on her hand, between her thumb and index finger. She was a little lazy in her posture, yet she still seemed proper. She had draped her jacket around her shoulders, leaving her arms free to be seen; clothed in beautiful, grey angora. "I mean, how you actually use your wand for something else than to lit carpets on fire." A slight smile played on her lips, not paying any attention on anyone else than her brother.

"Oh, because you think he will be so much more pleased with you?" Slight accusation in his voice, yet it seemed like he was going to laugh. He enjoyed the fact that his baby sister had started kicking back at those Gryffindor idiots. "I'm not sure if he would find it proper that you are harassing other women." He twisted it a little.

"It would be seen as more improper if I let Gryffindors walk right over me. Besides, I only told her to stop being so obscenely attracted to Slytherins if she was going to be a Gryffindor." After inspecting her nails for a few seconds she looked up, innocence in her eyes as she looked at them all. The boys were snickering, yet Tom just had the ghost of a smile on his lips. Dolohov on the other hand, he stared at her with unspoken words.

"I don't understand why you won't just raise your wand, little Anni." As he used her pet name, she glared at him – taking him aback. Immediately she went back to her former innocent look, pretending it never happened.

"I'm proper, Chauncey." She smiled at him as she used his middle name, gaining a sour look from him and loud laugh from the other lads. Everyone except from Tom, of course.

* * *

The hours had gone by surprisingly fast, and yet again she hadn't had the time to study the catalogue her mother had sent her. Frankly – she didn't even want to. Her hope of even going to the Yule Ball was slowly disappearing. She was not going there alone.

She was on her way to her room, which she shared with two other girls. Her head was starting to hurt from the lack of sleep. Oh, the joys of insomnia. She didn't exactly know why she was having such trouble with her sleep, it might be the ever growing anxiety inside her stomach. But where did it come from?

"Miss Rosier?" A dark voice behind her said, taking her aback for a moment. Luckily, she was out of the common rooms, so no one would've seen her jump. Well, except from _him_. Calmly she turned around and faced the man that stood much taller than her, looking down at her from his brown eyes.

"Dolohov." Her voice was smooth, yet that was to hide her nerves. She gave him a polite curtsey, not letting her eyes off him. She was a little unsure about this character – but one thing was for sure, he was brutally good looking.

"I hope I didn't disturb?" He had a polite tone, yet she saw in his eyes that he probably didn't even care if she had something else to do. In his eyes she saw a man with a mission.

"No, not at all." She lowered her gaze for a moment, only to look around her. She was slightly guarded, if he took that the wrong way… Well, that was his problem.

"I apologize that I haven't had the opportunity to introduce myself properly before." He bowed before her, lowering his head with him. It was a little odd, but she'd take it. His behaviour showed a man that was indicating that she was better than him.

_Not that far from the truth, Dolohov. _

"I'm used to that from you males." Her tone was slightly mocking. She turned slightly while looking at him, seeing if he would follow her, and he did. She turned completely and started to walk. Her hands were protectively folded in front of her, just to send out some signals.

"Your brother has set out a bounty for the first one who comes too close to you, Miss." He sounded vaguely amused, and she shook her head.

"Then you should watch your head, Dolohov. I prefer to see it and your neck connected." A pleased sound came from him.

_Good God, men are too easy to flatter. _

"I will try to do that, Miss." The fact that he kept calling her _miss _was slightly annoying, but she wouldn't say anything on it.

She didn't answer him; she just decided to sit down on a large wooden bench that was placed along the wall on her right side. She could feel how he looked at her every other second, yet she didn't spare him the same amount of looks. He was here for a reason, but he didn't say why yet.

"I was rather surprised when Alick introduced you to the group, and I was more surprised when Tom included you." His voice held some wonder.

"Is that because it's a boys club?" Now she looked at him, with some challenge. One might try to find out what kind of a man Dolohov was.

"Partly."

"Don't you think I have what it got, Dolohov?" She tilted her head, sending him a gaze so sweet.

"I've realized that you do, Rosier." He gave her a 'devil may care' smile that sent shivers down her spine.

"Good to know that you think so highly of me, then." Looking away from him once again, which resulted in the effect she had wanted; she could sense his frustration.

"We all thought that Tom would take you, which are one of the reasons why I haven't really introduced myself to you." He was obviously fishing for her full attention, and he got some of it.

"_Take me? _Really, Dolohov?" She laughed, yet not to scorn him. He furrowed his brows, obviously confused by her response. "No man can just _take _me. You have to put in a request with my parents." With a challenging look that was borderline sassy she stood up and looked down at Dolohov, yet he was almost her height while sitting. He kept down, looking up at her. She had a strict appearance, yet there was something alluring about her; that had been the reason why he had been chasing her now.

"Don't you ever want to break the rules, Arianne?" He picked up his courage, giving her an almost evil, yet charming smile. His dark, raggedy curls weren't long enough to fall forward and cover his eyes, but they were long enough to make him look like a rebel.

"You are speaking of dangerous things, Dolohov." She resisted the urge to pat him on the head, putting him far beyond her. It was a pureblood thing; pushing everyone else down the power structure. "My brother will have your head on a silver platter." She patted his shoulder instead, sending him a sweet look of innocence. She was dead serious though; Dolohov seemed to think that she would run off with him if he sent her one of his heartbreaker looks.

"Hmm, maybe I'll have to start smaller then?" He smiled at her, ignoring how she was putting him down. He was obviously going to put up with how she was stomping all over him.

Yes, she was more outspoken and free around Dolohov now than she would've been earlier; but she could pull out her pureblood sass in private. She would never do anything indecent, and Dolohov knew that if he wanted to try anything or say that they had done anything… Well, he would be beaten black and bloody.

"You seem to think very highly of yourself, Dolohov."

"A man has to aim high, Rosier." Okay, so now we're back to the last name.

"How high are we aiming now?" As she looked down at him he got up, making her take a step back. She was closer up to him than she would normally be comfortable with. He looked down at her with his devilish eyes, taking her chin and tilting it up. She immediately stepped back, looking at him with disdain.

"As high as I can, I guess." He didn't seem affected by her rejection. "And right now I'd like to ask you if you would like to go to the Yule Ball with me?"

**So… What do we think of ballsy Dolohov?**


	5. Daring, Dashing, Dead

**I'm awfully sorry about not updating for a while. I had to figure out… Well, life!**

"_You seem to think very highly of yourself, Dolohov." _

"_A man has to aim high, Rosier." Okay, so now we're back to the last name._

"_How high are we aiming now?" As she looked down at him he got up, making her take a step back. She was closer up to him than she would normally be comfortable with. He looked down at her with his devilish eyes, taking her chin and tilting it up. She immediately stepped back, looking at him with disdain._

"_As high as I can, I guess." He didn't seem affected by her rejection. "And right now I'd like to ask you if you would like to go to the Yule Ball with me?"_

He didn't surprise her, yet she looked up at him with one eyebrow cocked. He kept that winning smile – as if he had the world in his palm, and she was surely going to swoon over him. _Yeah, right…_ She kept looking at him for a long moment, weighing her words in her mouth before they splattered out in some indecent fashion. Even though she kept looking at him as if he was a little stupid, his façade didn't falter.

"I'm no one-run girl, Dolohov. I have standards." With that she smiled at him and turned slightly, only to be grabbed by the arm. His eyes were intense, as if he now realized that she wasn't going to fall down at her knees for him. He was stupid to think that she would go along with him this easy.

"You are refusing me then?" He said with a stiff jaw, things had obviously not gone after his plan.

"You haven't charmed me yet, Dolohov." She fluttered her eyelashes at him, yet her eyes held sarcasm. With one swift movement she pulled her arm away from his grip, and then she walked away.

Oh dear, that had nearly been bad. She shook her head as if to cleanse her mind – releasing tension she hadn't noticed until now. Lord, Dolohov had put himself too high.

As she walked out of the hallway and into the Slytherin common room again, it seemed like most of the students had left. It was quite few here, only one or two who were probably ditching classes. One of the few were a face that she had grown to accept; Tom. With a chest full of stiffness she walked over to where he was sitting, on a green padded chair in front of a roaring fireplace. He had his back to everyone, but Arianne would recognize him wherever he was. He had this eerie thing about and around him; something that told people to stay away or to give into whatever he wanted from them. She sat down in the chair next to him, slightly facing the fireplace. She leaned her head into her hand, not looking at the lad who slowly became her friend.

He threw a glance at her, and she could even sense a small smile coming from him. He had his hands pushed up against each other, pressing the tips of his fingers towards the one ones on his other hand.

"You seem tense, Arianne." He was using her name more and more, something which only meant that he was growing more accustomed to her.

"I'm just really uncomfortable, Tom." She looked at him with a little smile and a shrug. It was weird how they seemed to get along. Tom was without emotions – that she was quite sure of – and she was just happy that he seemed to fake them for her. It wasn't a problem that something was seriously wrong with the boy, even though his words sometimes gave her the shivers. She had found an intelligent conversation partner in him, and he saw her pure blood and bright mind as something one shouldn't waste. Tom was probably going to use her and her family for power one day, but she didn't care.

"I saw Dolohov following you like a stray dog, so I'm guessing he did something to unnerve you." He looked into the fireplace, already aware that he was completely right – Tom was always right. That was the thing that kept order in his world.

"You guessed right." She said into her fist, still leaning on a hand that was as tightly folded as a rock.

"You want me to teach him a lesson?" Now he looked at her again, and she saw a glint of pure menace in his eyes. Yeah, there it was – some emotion. Okay, so he had a few emotions. They were mostly pride, menace and well… Just all that belonged to a bigot.

"Why would you do that?" She raised both of her eyebrows.

"He should know how to behave around pureblood women, and he obviously doesn't. He needs to be put back in his place." Yeah, that was Tom for 'ya… He treated the boys like men in an army – and he was the general. No, wait – he was the freaking dictator.

"Don't think about it Tom, he can sort himself out. And if he can't, I'll just hit him where it hurts the most." Her nonchalant tone brought a smile from her conversation partner.

"What did he want anyway?" The slightest hint of interest was in his voice. He was probably thinking about the pureblood babies they could produce; how perfect the world could be if Dolohov acted perfectly and became a warrior and a bigot dad of tinsy tiny pureblood babies.

"At first he wanted to run away with me, but then he settled for asking me to go to the Yule ball with him."

"You're sure that you don't want me to teach him a lesson?" He tilted his head, hope in his menacing eyes. She shook her head with a small smile on her lips.

"No. Not at all, Tom."

"So you're actually thinking about going to the Yule ball with him?" Now he was just being sly,

"Maybe, Tom. But only if he shows me that he can treat a Rosier the way she should be treated." It was her turn to smile slyly, and he laughed at her.

* * *

She was lying in bed, her head the wrong way. Her hair was flowing down the end of the bed as she saw the world upside-down, glaring at the door. One of the girls she shared the room with was out, so it was just her and Mirabella – Mira. The pretty girl had her chestnut curls pulled up in a ponytail, and her chocolate brown eyes were studying a book as if life depended upon it. Mira was such a doll, the nicest little miss that Arianne could ever call her best friend.

"You have been glaring at the door for twenty minutes now." Came dryly from the timid girl.

"I'll stop glaring at it when it becomes pink." Sarcasm rolled over tongue, as if it was her second language.

"What's got you so cranky?" giving up her book, Mira looked at her best friend. They hadn't seen each other as much as they used to nowadays – mostly because Arianne run with the trouble gang.

"Oh, you know… The same old, same old." Her nose twitched, and Mira guessed that boys were on her mind. As for Arianne, it wasn't that she was that upset with the way Dolohov had treated her – yet she was. Gah, this was confusing. No man had ever treated her that way, as if he wanted her. Yet she didn't like that he thought she would swoon for him just like that. He had to work for it. "He is bloody handsome though…" She sighed, knowing that Mira probably didn't know who she was talking about.

"I sure hope it's not Tom Riddle you're talking about now." Her trying tone didn't bring Arianne back, yet she smiled slightly.

"God no, Mira. I'm not suicidal." She shook her head and decided to sit up, twinning her hair while collecting her legs underneath her. Her knee length skirt hiked up a little, but her woollen stockings kept everything unseen.

"Being with any of those lads are going to make you seem suicidal, Annie." She used her nickname, something which she had accepted this time. She wasn't too keen on being called Annie, it was so… Private – so intimate.

"That's only if you let any of them lead the relationship." She smiled at her friend, getting an odd look back. "It's not like I'm going to date any of those bigots though…" She sighed, almost a little disappointed. It was two days since she had had that talk with Dolohov, and his dashing looks weren't changed for her. He sent her some looks – he was actually ogling her, but not to worry. He was evaluating her, but she didn't know that. All she knew was that Dolohov was silent and wouldn't stop ogling her. Even Alick seemed to get a little suspicious.

"But who is it?" Curiosity.

"Oh, don't you think about that… The less you know the better." She was teasing her friend, and she took it all. Arianne let out another sigh and tried to focus on the book that lay neatly on her bed; it hadn't even been opened today. "He will never be all hearts and flowers anyway…" Not that she wanted exactly _that._

* * *

As she sat in her Ancient Studies class, she couldn't help but to drift away. The elderly woman who stood down on the floor talked about how the Egyptians tore down their enemies with words. It was quite interesting, truly – but Arianne was dead tired. She had slept worse than ever this night, Mira had been reading – out loud – and the other roomie of hers kept talking in her sleep. Arianne – who already had a hard time sleeping, had lain awake all the time, staring hatefully out in the air.

Merlin, this was so not her day.

None of her friends took this class, mostly since it was extra-curricular. Alick had called it a major snooze, and Mira was busy with Magical Theory, and Tom was… Well, Tom was probably creeping around. Tom was a brilliant boy – why he didn't do more extra-curricular was beyond her.

"Miss Rosier, am I boring you?" The elderly woman snapped, which made Arianne turn her head like a lazy cat. Honestly, she was not up for a lashing right now…

"Not at all, Professor." She muttered, not even avoiding the piercing look in the Professor's eyes.

"Then I suggest you turn your attention towards the blackboard." A smile was on her face, it was almost a little menacing. Evil.

She shrugged, not up for giving the old hag the pleasure of seeing Arianne become somewhat submissive. The old woman cleared her throat for a moment, and Arianne could feel the looks she was getting from her fellow students. People seemed to be a little shocked – not that she could blame them. It wasn't usual for her to throw an attitude. It hadn't been her words that made the teacher annoyed, not the way she spoke and almost snoozed – it was more the fact that her blue eyes threw a black shade. She wasn't being polite, slightly submissive Arianne Emeline Rosier. Yet she ignored them, not acknowledging anyone. Her mom would've been proud.

Was that where she was heading – was she becoming her mom?

The thought of the distant, strict woman with jet black hair slicked backwards in a tight, sophisticated bun – the one with eyes as blue as hers. Her mom had delicate features, seeming much younger than she was, yet the look in her eyes had always shown her real age – if you added on 50 years.

She hoped as hell that that wasn't where she was heading. Yet – Her mom's attitude made it easier to survive. She was the living embodiment of a protective shell.

The class had flown by after that, mostly since Arianne had pretended to pay attention. Her Professor hadn't said anything else to her, she just kept a vary eye on the young adult. After she had excited the classroom, with her book tight to her chest, someone had approached her. It wasn't Alick, which wasn't weird; Alick had to get extra classes in potions now. It was priceless.

The large man, who put out his hand as if to offer to take the books of her hands, stared down at her with his big, brown eyes. When she usually thought of lads with big, brown eyes she saw safety and tenderness; but this lad had a 'devil may care' smile and wickedness like none other. She sighed and started walking, noticing how he followed her like the stray, overgrown puppy she imagined him to be.

"Come on, Arianne. Are you going to ignore me?" He was almost cheerful, maybe he was? She couldn't quite make out him.

"No, I'm just checking how far you'll go." Still she didn't look at him, yet she passed the book to him. He walked a step behind her and she could feel him loom over her, like an overgrown dog. People were making way for them, even though there weren't many students in the hallways now. It was just the Slytherin effect – or something like that.

"How far I'd go for what?" He seemed confused, yet he kept up with her. She wasn't going to grant him the answer; instead she smeared a slightly pleased smile over her lips. If Alick found out that Dolohov was following her like this, he'd either be pleased and ignorant, or he would try to cut the man's head off. "And now you are ignoring me." He muttered. But instead of walking behind her, being all gloomy, he stepped forward a little faster and walked in front of her, turning around so that he was walking backwards and looking at her. Still she wouldn't look at him. It gave her some perverse joy to refuse him what he was seeking; her attention. He stared at her, trying his best to catch her eyes. Her smile confused him ever so slightly, leaving sparkles of something that could only be excitement mixed up with frustration. Dolohov wouldn't admit it, but Arianne was catching his attention in a way nobody else had done.

"Keep looking at me like that and Alick will have your head, boy." She said as she looked at the paintings at the wall, doing it to him on purpose.

"I would rather have a _good _reason for being hunted down by your brother, rather than him being mad because I'm looking at you." His tone was rather normal, yet she knew what he was hinting towards.

"I'm still not going to the ball with you, Dolohov." Now she sent him the smallest look, yet the things in her eyes were enough to make boys cringe. Dolohov on the other hand, he only saw a challenge.

"Is that a no, Rosier?"

"Is that a realisation, Dolohov?" She tilted her head, watching how he seemed to bathe in her eyes. He was enjoying himself; mostly because she knew that he wouldn't accept her refusal.

"I can make you change your mind, you know." His eyes held that dangerous glint. "A little party never killed nobody, pussycat." He laughed.

"I might have to tell my boys, you know." She didn't appreciate the nickname he gave her, so she threw a threat that he would notice.

"Your boys?" The look in his face was more sincere, yet she knew that he wasn't completely _there _yet.

"Yes, Tom is not appreciating your behaviour." And that seemed to set him straight for a moment. The thought of making Tom Riddle upset wasn't a pleasant thought for anyone. Tom was a ticking bomb with a silent fuse, everyone knew that.

"Why would you tell him, you're not one of his worries?" He furrowed his brows, now he stood still; his body towards hers. She stopped a few feet away from him.

"Because Tom wants a perfect pureblood world, and you are not treating me like a pureblood princess." Her tone was sweet, seeming to put thoughts in his head. He looked at her thoroughly before she walked up to him, snapped back her book and walked past him.


End file.
